There are few names more synonymous with hip-hop thanTupac Shakur.
However, as difficult as it is to imagine, there was a time when that wasnt the case.
A time whenPublic EnemyandN.W.A.were battling it out to become the king in the East CoastWest Coast feud.
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Nevertheless, it was the prominent use of hip-hop that putJuiceon the map.
Who Does Tupac Shakur Play in ‘Juice’?
However, as is often the case incrime dramas, what should be an easy job quickly backfires.
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‘Belly,’ like any good noir, unfolds in a landscape without much hope.
Hes tasted the juice, and one sip is far from enough.
Bishops descent into criminality signifies the point whenJuicesplot takes a hard 90-degree turn.
With Tupac speaking with such power and vehemence, its hard to avoid being swept up in his words.
But for those paying close attention, its here where the seeds of his villainous turn are sown.
His words are dangerous, and it doesnt take much pushback from Q for a brawl to break out.
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Its fascinating to see his character erode throughout the runtime.
Lets take Epps as Quincy Q Powell who brought somewhat of a relatable air to the film.
In a nutshell, hes the level-headed dreamer in the crew even though things are gradually spiraling around him.
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His passion for DJing injects a layer of ambition that makes it easy to want him to succeed.
Every crew needs that loveable sidekick, which audiences found in Hopkins depiction of Steel.
The lineup would be incomplete without mentioning Kains Raheem, who was the groups conscience for a moment.
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Theres no doubt that his demise changed the tone of the film, pushing it into thriller territory.
Really setting his performance apart is the fact that he wasnt simplyplaying a version of himself.
Bishops character came with so many complicated layers that he peeled back with surgical precision.
Juice follows four friends from Harlem—Bishop, Q, Steel, and Raheem—who engage in petty crime. As they plot a convenience store robbery, tensions rise when Bishop, the group’s leader, pressures Q, an aspiring DJ, to join despite his conflicting dreams. The film explores themes of friendship, ambition, and power.
Perhaps thats why his performance still resonates to date as one of the most intense in ’90s cinema.
The film explores themes of friendship, ambition, and power.
Juiceis currently available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
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